


Nothing to See Here 2: In Living Color

by Lightpoint



Series: Keeping Up Appearences [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: A horny Padme is a kinky Padme, Accidental Voyeurism, Anakin has no shame, Biting, Bottom Anakin, Crack and Smut, Dirty Talk, Dom/sub, Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, FML this was supposed to be CRACK, Force Bondage, Force Sex (Star Wars), Freaky Mystical Force Stuff, Fuck Or Die, Gaslighting, Gen, Horror, Inappropriate Use of the Force, Leaning on the Fourth Wall, Livia’s odds of survival decrease with each fic she’s in, M/M, Mild Blood, Mind Manipulation, Misuse of the Force, Naboo Headcanons, One-Sided Attraction, POV First Person, Palpatine is having way too much fun, Palpatine is the Master of Trolling, Partial Mind Control, Poor Livia, Predicament Bondage, Sith Rituals, Sith Sorcery, Sorry Not Sorry, That's Not How The Force Works, The Dark Side of the Force, The Force, This is turning into 'Nightmare on Elm Street' Meets 'Days of Our Lives', Threesome - F/M/M, Wet Dream, Wrong Place At The Wrong Time, YOU IN DANGER GIRL, mild bloodplay, sanity slippage
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-09-09 21:03:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8911861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightpoint/pseuds/Lightpoint
Summary: Shameless follow-up to ‘Nothing to See Here.’ Livia the Holonet Technician has…issues dealing with that ‘really interesting dream.’ Palpatine is fully aware of this. To make matters worse…Anakin is back. Padme Amidala/Anakin Skywalker/Sheev Palpatine





	1. False Memory

**Author's Note:**

> Starts out with a scene from [Nothing to See Here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8470867)...with a bit of an embellishment. :O

Footsteps thudded on the deck. Palpatine reached down, grasped my arm, and hauled me out from under the bed with surprising strength. I swayed on my feet, dizzy from the sudden shift in altitude, and so didn’t resist when he all but threw me onto the bed.

“Sit,” he snapped, when I yelped and tried to roll back off. 

I sat. 

_There’s nowhere else for you to sit,_ I reminded myself, trying to shove the sudden flood of thoughts and _possibilities_ back into the gutter where they belonged. _You’re in a phenomenal amount of shit, remember?_ I still couldn’t stop the shiver from dancing up my bare legs.

“Sir, I…”

 _“Silence.”_ My jaw snapped shut. I shivered, as a sudden, alien breed of _fear_ traced icy fingers down my spine. 

Time slowed to a crawl. He just…stood there, arms crossed over his chest, watching me. I bit my lip, and held back the sob building in my chest. 

“Explain yourself.”

“I – “

“Spit it out, technician,” he said, looking pointedly at my thin, silken shift. I flushed. 

“There was a service request,” I blurted. “The Holonet went down. I was up there – “ I pointed at the vent I’d fallen out of. “Looking for the net box. I almost hit the security sensors, and I – I panicked, and…” My shoulders drooped. “I…Fell, and then I kind of rolled –“ 

And out came the sob. _Damn it…_ I looked away until I got it together, rubbing angrily at my eyes.

“I’m so sorry sir, I didn’t mean –“

The mattress dipped. My stomach lurched as he sat next to me, so close that our thighs were nearly touching…And reached out and cupped my cheek in his hand. 

I froze. He gripped my chin and turned me to face him. My vision blurred as he tucked a loose strand of hair back into my braid, and laid a soothing hand on my back.

“There is nothing to forgive,” he murmured, his breath warm on my cheek.

“…Really?” I squeaked. He smiled. 

“You see Livia…I knew you were there.”

_Wait…WHAT?_

Slender fingers twined in my hair.

“I saw you before you hid…”

He dragged his thumb over my bottom lip.

“I was going to say something, but then you made such _delicious_ noises…I’ve never had an audience before.”

“I – I didn’t see – “ 

“But you _did_ hear,” he purred. Suddenly I was curled up against his shoulder, half in his lap. Ok, _technically_ I was straddling his thigh, but... “Why do you think I switched to Basic?” 

“Ah -- You felt like it?” The Chancellor smirked, and ran his knuckles along my flank.

“Not exactly.”

The world inverted. I gasped as I found myself flat on my back, my wrists pressed into the mattress. 

Blood pounded in my head as he leaned over me, one long, elegant finger tracing a line from my lips to the edge of my shift, just over my heart.

“Sir…I…I…”

“Hmm…What do we have here?”

My shift vanished. 

“Your – Your Excellency – I –“ 

“Those lovely little moans…I’d like to hear them again…”

 

*

 

…I jerked awake. And promptly fell off the edge of my bed. Yes, _my_ bed, in _my_ room, in _my_ cramped Mid-level apartment.

For a few moments, I just lay there, face pressed to the cold floor, grounding myself in the present. 

_This is getting ridiculous._

I caught a glimpse of my alarm clock when I rolled onto my back, and sighed. 4:30 in the morning. 

_Oh, for fuck’s sake._

I dragged myself to my feet and climbed back into bed, wondering if it was normal to have dreams about dreams.

 

*

 

I staggered into work a half hour late, dark circles under my eyes.

“Rough night?” Cheri eyed me over the rim of her mug of caff. The 30-something Togruta was a recent addition to the Central Senate tech department. She’d been transferred from bel Iblis’ office, and was quickly learning the ropes. I rather liked her…but on two hours of sleep, I’d be prickly even if I was sharing a cubicle with a unicorn that farted diamonds.

“In a manner of speaking,” I muttered, shoving my datacard into my terminal without ceremony. “Is there any more of that?”

“In the break room. I think there’s breakfast, too…”

 _Thank the Force._ I booted up the terminal, locked it for security, and made a beeline to the caff machine. Unfortunately, I wasn’t alone.

“Hey Livia…Whoa. You don’t look so good…” Von put down his cinnamon roll, just in time to stop me from spilling boiling water all over my bodice. He peered anxiously at my face, eyes widening as he took in my sickly pallor and mussy, barely-decent hair. “Ok, come here. Did you just get in?” Von guided me to a chair and thrust a cinnamon roll into my hands. “Eat.”

I mumbled something resembling a thank you. The pastry tasted as dry as sand, and the caff burned my throat going down, but it woke me up. Not enough for me to muster much enthusiasm when Von dropped into the chair next to me, and slid a datapad next to my plate. 

“Today’s rotation,” he said, with an attempt at a smile. “Guess where we’re going?” I glared at the blinking text, pinching the bridge of my node between my thumb and forefinger.

“This is what I get for a job well done…”

Two months had passed since my adventure with the network box in Chancellor Palpatine’s office, and my section was still giving me hell for it…Then again (according to my supervisor, Ni Elliot-ack), it took real talent to get electrocuted _after_ you got a concussion. 

Unfortunately, she wasn’t the only being who’d noticed. Despite my trip to the med bay, it seemed that Von was right; I _had_ done well. The Holonet hadn’t gone down in that section of the Senate building for two straight months. As the old saying goes, if you do a job right, the chances are very, very good that you’ll be asked to do it again. It didn’t matter how many times I said that Von had been the brains of the outfit, and that he could have done it several times faster on his own; upper management had decided to throw me back into the field, possibly for good. 

Apparently all it took to turn someone’s career completely on its head was a favorable word from the Chancellor. The scuttlebutt was that he’d told Ni that his ‘net connection had never run smoother. Which meant that handling Palpatine’s section of the Senate building was now _my_ job. Well, mine and Von’s. Usually I handled the logistics, data flow, and security code from my desk, while Von made the rounds and fixed anything that needed fixing. 

Usually. Today, they wanted both of us. 

_Wonderful timing,_ I thought, my cheeks turning pink as my stupid, tired, stupid brain dragged _the dream_ right back to center stage.

“Doesn’t look like anything’s broken, though,” Von muttered. I groaned.

_Except my mind._

I’d barely slept for two months. And it was only getting worse. Last night had gotten a little _too_ real…

_And good…_

_NO. Nope. No. Uh-uh. NOPE…_

“…Livia?”

I started, spilling caff all over the table. Von cursed and snatched the datapad out of the way, just in time. He looked at me strangely as I reached for the roll of paper towels, trying to keep my hands steady. 

“Livia, what’s going on?” he asked suddenly. I shrugged, avoiding his eyes. 

“Just tired, I guess. But it’s Friday, right?” Von groaned.

“Famous last words.”

“Look…Von, I’m ok,” I said quietly, mopping up the last of the caff. “It’s just been a rough few weeks.” Slowly, he nodded.

“All right,” he said. “Just don’t think you need to push through it if you get dizzy or sick, or something…”

“I’ll be _fine,”_ I said, with what I hoped was a fairly reasonable imitation of conviction. 

_It’s Friday. Just hang in there…_

 

*

 

Things started going wrong as soon as we got to the office. Of course, any meeting that started with Sate Pestage giving you the stink-eye was bound to be the stuff of nightmares. Von, of course, noticed, and stiffened. I nudged him as soon as Sate turned his back to lead us into Palpatine’s office. 

_I’ll be fine!_ I mouthed. I still winced when I caught my reflection in the marble floor. I’d managed to beat my hair into submission in the ‘fresher, but there was only so much makeup could do when you were running on empty. _At least I’m not wearing my coveralls._

And at any rate, a little snobbery from ASS-tage was nothing I couldn’t handle.

His boss, on the other hand…

“Ms. Augur, Mr. Trappe – Please, have a seat!”

Somehow I pulled a smile across my face as Chancellor Palpatine waved us into two chairs across from his desk.

“Good morning Your Excellency,” I said, sitting as straight as I could. The chair was entirely too comfortable. One lull in the action…Well, given the way the day was going, I wouldn’t have been surprised if I fell asleep. “What can we do for you?” 

For once I was glad of my fatigue when he caught my eye and smiled. Normally, I would have flushed as red as a tomato. Especially considering the last time I’d called him ‘Your Excellency.’

 _That. Didn’t. Happen!_ I thought, pushing back the not-memory of red shimmersilk and soft hands, and tried to keep my face blank, yet attentive. 

No such luck. There was a reason everyone working in this section of the building was always on their best behavior around Palpatine; the man was entirely too perceptive. Then again, you didn’t get _this_ far in politics if you weren’t. And I had a nasty feeling that my voice was a little…off.

I hid a flinch -– mostly -- when his brow furrowed with concern. 

“Ms. Augur, are you feeling all right?” the Chancellor asked. He leaned forward slightly, searching my face. I caught Sate’s smirk out of the corner of my eye. Unexpectedly, my temper flared. 

“I’m fine, sir. Thank you,” I said, with more energy. He cocked an eyebrow skeptically. “It’s been a long – it’s been one of _those_ weeks, is all,” I continued, mentally screaming at Von to _help me out here, damn it!_ “I’m sorry if I seem a little out of sorts.” 

Palpatine shook his head.

“There is nothing to forgive,” he said, with a smile. 

He said something else too, but I completely missed it, because my brain whited out. 

_There is nothing to forgive…_

I started, blinking furiously, as the Chancellor’s office _smeared_ before my eyes. 

A hand slid to my lower back.

_Oh HELL no!_

I dug my fingernails into my arm. 

“…Just a few changes to the internal configuration. We should be able to get at it remotely…We just need to check the physical interface. There should be three in a 500 foot radius. Livia and I will pull the information from this office, and then make the changes from our terminals.”

“I assume you’ll need to check the side rooms, too?” Pestage asked coolly, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Yes,” I replied, straightening in my chair. My fatigue vanished as Pestage’s lip curled with distain. I turned to Palpatine, pointedly ignoring his advisor. “To ensure network coverage. If that’s all right with you, sir?” 

“Of course Ms. Auger,” Palpatine said, nodding slowly. His voice dropped low. “Take all the time you need.”

I stood quickly (maybe a little _too_ quickly). Once again, I got the feeling that he could see right through me. 

“Thank you sir. This will not take long,” Von said, right before the silence grew awkward.

I didn’t trust myself to speak.

 

*

 

It didn’t take long. We went from room to room, tracing holo lines, checking for continuity, and recording the findings in our datapads. Nothing I hadn’t done a thousand times before. 

_Right after school, anyway,_ I thought, smiling a little. In a way, the odd turn that my career had taken was rather refreshing. I’d been surfing a desk for so long that these forays into the field felt nearly as new as they had when I was getting my degree. _Except now I know what I’m doing._

There were only three rooms off the main office. The small conference room was the easiest, though Von had to help me up on the table, thanks to my heels and tailored dress. The ‘fresher was spacious and clean, if a bit awkward to navigate. Von had to crawl behind a cabinet to get at the secondary scan box. I ended up contorting myself into a thoroughly uncomfortable shape to get the scan line behind the toilet without disturbing the hand towels that probably cost more than I made in a month.

And then, finally, we entered the third room.

I almost dropped the scanner. 

It was the bedroom from my dreams.

Well, nearly. The bed still filled the room, but the sheets were a crisp, practical white. The comforter looked just as expensive as the heady swath of red where I’d -- _no you didn’t_ \--- except it was a soft, calm gray. It was a room meant for sleeping. 

“I guess he really does sleep here,” said Von, pushing past me. “Livia?” He paused, seeing my expression. “Come on, we’re almost done.” I nodded shakily and headed for the far wall, the most likely spot for an auxiliary holo connection. The black space under the bed gaped wide in my thoughts. A shiver ran down my spine...I didn’t want it behind my back.

_What’s in there?_

_NOTHING. You’re being stupid._

So I kept it in the corner of my eye while numbers scrolled up and down my data pad. Everything went swimmingly for five or so minutes. The numbers on my pad scrolled green and cheerful across the screen. Von hummed to himself as he walked the far wall. 

Of course it didn’t last.

My datapad pinged as a yellow reading sprung up from the sea of green; a signal path obstruction. I sighed, and scrolled back, searching for the connection line. 

Of course it led right under the bed. I swallowed, my fingers tightening convulsively around the scanner.

But what could I do? Von would want to know _why_ if I asked him to go instead. 

_You’re too old to be afraid of the dark…_

_It was just. A. Dream._

I knelt gingerly, mindful of my skirt, and slid underneath the frame. 

The source of the block was further back than I’d thought. I shimmied forward on my elbows until I reached the far end, closer to Palpatine’s side. Or where he’d been in my dream, at any rate…

I followed the scan carefully, and ended up turning onto my stomach, feeling blindly along the floor…

…And pulled a patch of dark blue cloth out of a crack in the floor. 

I almost screamed.

I clapped my hand over my mouth just in time. Nausea flooded my core as I stared at the frayed piece of fabric. It matched the tear in the coveralls I’d worn when I’d fixed the net box. I flipped over onto my back, and traced the elaborate metal and wood lattice overhead with shaking fingers.

So real. _Exactly_ what I’d dreamed.

“Livia?”

I shoved the cloth down the front of my bodice and scrambled out from under the bed.

“Find anything good?” Von asked, smirking.

“Fixed it,” I said, my voice oddly clear. “Just a dust bunny in the transmitter field.”

“Hmm…Everything else looks great. Barely any dirt or carbon particles. They must’ve just cleaned.” He frowned. “I guess the droids missed a spot.”

“Well, now we know,” I said, clasping my hands behind my back, trying to stop the shaking. “Think we’re done?”

“Yeah,” said Von. He glanced at his chronometer. “Just in time for lunch.” He nodded to the main corridor. “I think they’re out – good time to head back.”

“I’ll write up a report, and then we can go eat. Get it out of the way,” I said. The words felt strange on my tongue; numb, thick shapes that just didn’t _fit._

_Don’t panic,_ I thought, as we exited the room. _Focus on the job._

“All clear sir,” I said, when we stepped back into the main office. “There was just a – a bit of dust near one of the transmit fields. I cleared it out, so it should be fine.” 

Palpatine stood and extended his hand for our report. I handed it over, tensing as our eyes locked.

 _Oh Force…_ His sharp blue eyes cut right through me. My heart leaped into my throat, every muscle tensing as I readied myself to – 

_What, run out of the office? Seriously?_

The moment passed. The Chancellor scanned the readout, pausing on the error report. 

“Excellent,” he said, his eyes flicking to mine. “Thank you both…That will be all. For now.” 

He handed back the report, an odd little smile playing along the corners of his mouth. Our fingers brushed. I started, nearly dropping the piece of flimsy. Palpatine reached forward, catching the report and steadying me, squeezing my hand in the process.

I flushed bright red as my skin flooded with sense memory. Thankfully, it centered on the things that I knew, now, were real. Hand on my lower back. Soft fingers gripping my jaw, turning me to face him. Warm breath on my neck as a deep voice lulled me to sleep.

Static in my head.

Somehow, I stayed upright.

“Thank you sir,” I said, pulling away carefully. 

“We’ll be in the data center if you need us again,” said Von. The Chancellor thanked us again, and turned to Pestage, waving us away. We inclined our heads, and left.

Two pairs of eyes bored into my back. 

 

*

 

I pulled Von aside as soon as we stepped onto the turbolift.

“What did I say in the med bay?” I whispered. 

“What?” Von asked, blinking in confusion.

“After you found me in there,” I hissed. “In Palpatine’s office. What _exactly_ did I say?”

“That you found the net box, but you got stuck in the vents after you fixed it and passed out. You woke up when some sort of backup fan started, and the vibrations loosened the main grating. You fell out, and almost hit the Chancellor’s desk.” Von paused, and keyed in our floor code. “The Emdee droid said that you had a mild concussion. And were electrocuted. Nothing permanent, but you were seriously loopy for a few weeks…Livia?” 

I groaned, and leaned against the wall, gripping the handrail for support. 

“I’m ok,” I said. “Well, mostly…” I smiled wanly. “Thanks Von.”

“For what?” 

I shook my head. 

“Thanks for asking, you know? I’ll be ok.”

_As soon as I get to the bottom of this…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Aaaaaand she's back!! The next chapter is underway, and I'm going to push to finish it, because **_I JUST FINISHED MY FINAL GRAD SCHOOL PAPER AND I NEED TO WRITE CRACK AND SMUT!!!_**  
>  2\. No smut in *this* chapter, because it needed some setup. And Anakin needs to get there xD  
> 3\. YOU IN DANGER GIRL!!


	2. Night Terrors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Livia pretends everything is normal. The Universe has other ideas. Then she tries to get some sleep...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's another callback to [_Nothing to See Here_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8470867)at the end of the chapter. This time there are _several_ significant changes *_* So don't say I didn't warn you. *dives headfirst into one of the Sith Hells*
> 
> Also, prepare for a long-ass chapter :O

The rest of the day was a blur. I logged my findings dutifully, triple-checking the numbers for accuracy even as I winced over the little white lie in the comment block; _dust in the transmitter field._ I stood in line in the Senate cafeteria with Von and Cheri, and complained about the wilting lettuce. I troubleshot the Ryloth office’s climate control system – some jackass kept hacking the network and cranking the heater above Orn Free Ta’s desk up to maximum. I sat through the weekly roundup meeting, complained about the ginormous holes in Ryloth’s firewall that they _refused_ to patch – they really only had themselves to blame, and Free Ta was a dick, so it was hard to feel bad -- and laughed in all the right places. 

I most definitely _didn’t_ think about the scrap of cloth stuffed inside my breast band. 

The clock couldn’t move fast enough. By 3 I was nursing one hell of a headache, checking the chronometer every 5 minutes, and begging the Force to just give me a damn break for once. 

Fortunately, it was Friday, so my eagerness to leave got lost in the general cloud of impatience. Half my section started packing up a half hour before shutdown, and inching towards the door in what was clearly supposed to be a subtle manner. I stayed online until Palpatine’s access light went dark. 

Von stuck his head in my cubicle door when control shifted over to the 24-hour response team.

“Hey, are you up to anything tonight?” he asked, shifting from foot to foot. “We’re going to Venti’s on 3rd.” Von nodded towards the door, where Cheri and six or seven other techs were clustered, chatting amicably. I winced. Dinner and drinks at Venti’s was a Friday tradition. I’d skipped it more often than not since my fall.

The fall that might not have actually been a fall. I slumped in my chair, whatever energy I’d managed to scrape together since lunch seeping away.

“Next week,” I said. “I’m not feeling so good right now…It’s protein bars and bed for me tonight.” 

“That’s probably for the best,” said Von, ducking his head. I smiled wanly and started packing up. “Well, see you Monday.”

He was halfway to the door when I froze in my tracks. The aching pressure in the back of my head that had been bothering me all day burst like a soap bubble. 

The schematics taped to the walls of my cubicle blurred and twisted, as though I was looking in the wrong end of a telescope. I caught the back of my chair, grounding myself as best as I could.

“Hey, Von?” I called, my voice cracking.

“Yeah?” 

“…Could you walk me to the tram?”

He frowned and stepped back into my cubicle, scanning my face closely. 

“What’s up?” he whispered, glancing over his shoulder. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I shook my head, not meeting his eyes.

“I – I don’t know. I just feel – “

_This is the SENATE BUILDING. The most secure place in the entire galaxy. You’re safe, damn it!_

And yet my skin was prickling as if I’d stuck my finger in a data socket.

“It’s probably nothing. But I – I just have a bad feeling about thi -- “

“No _buts,”_ said Von. “Hey guys, wait up!”

 

*

 

It turned out that everyone except me, Cheri, and Von were taking an air taxi to Venti’s. Cheri, luckily, was happy to walk with us, though she wasn’t above giggling at my mumbled explanation.

“You’ve worked here for _how_ long?” she said. “It’s not _that_ creepy!”

I laughed it off and hurried forward, avoiding Von’s eyes.

Most of the Senate support staff had already left for the day, so the corridors in our section of the building were nearly deserted. I stayed between Cheri and Von, and focused on their rapid-fire discussion of what they were doing that night. It was almost enough to make me ignore the way that our footsteps echoed in the silent halls, and the shadows gathering slowly on the edges of the main corridor.

I’d walked the length of the building more times than I could remember, at all hours of the day, every day of the week. I could find my way from one end of the Support Core to the other with nothing but the red emergency lighting to guide me. The twisting warren of softly lit corridors was my territory. Nothing to fear.

But that night was different. My senses were on high alert. Each clanking pipe, each footstep was enough to set my hair on end. And try as I might, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something following me, just out of my line of sight. 

_You’re just tired,_ I thought, tensing as a cloaked Ithorian passed us on the left. _Jumping at shadows._

I pressed my hand over the scrap of blue cloth, still hidden underneath my clothes. 

_Figure it out when you get home. Sleep on it. Everything will be fine._

 

*

 

Cheri spotted three of her friends from the Corellian office when we reached the main atrium. She stepped aside, smiling apologetically. I ignored the sinking feeling in my gut, and promised to catch up with her later.

I picked up the pace. We walked in silence. I honestly didn’t have words for what was going through my head. Unfortunately, it meant that there was very little to distract me from the tumble of thoughts. I walked myself through the series of events that had led me into the ventilation shaft, my search for the net box, the tear in my coveralls. 

But every time I edged close to my fall through the grate, my focus just…slipped. It slid away from the actual _fall,_ and into a bright image of the carpet near Palpatine’s desk pressing against my cheek. The black space under the bed festered in my thoughts, like an infection covered up by a scar, an abscess in my mind. I couldn’t get at it without a knife. 

Metaphorically speaking.

Yes, the fall _had_ happened…Just not in the way that I remembered. And I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know.

_Sometimes it’s best not to ask._

I turned to Von to thank him when we were about five minutes from the tram station, and nearly jumped out of my skin when a lift hissed open on the other side of the corridor. 

“Oh, thank the gods! Von!”

Ni Elliot-Ack practically sprinted towards us. 

“Ni, what – “

“We’ve got a problem,” the Twi’lek said. “Alpha grid is down, and guess who’s getting the blame?” She slumped over to catch her breath.

“Us?” I asked. She nodded.

“What?” Von stared at her. “How could they _possibly_ blame that on us?” 

“Apparently there’s a ghost link from the Chancellor’s office to 500 Republica. And, no, I _don’t_ know what it’s doing there,” Ni snapped, her lekku twitching.

I swallowed convulsively. The Alpha grid was an extension of Palpatine’s network designed to loop in his private residence; an extra layer of security, one that we weren’t even supposed to touch. A ghost link meant…

“Somebody hacked it? Or – “

“We don’t know yet. Could be nothing, but they still want us to take a look. Livia, you’re off this one. No buts!” she said, completely misinterpreting my expression. “Von, it’s you, me, and a couple techs. _You_ are going home. And getting some sleep. Is that clear?”

“Yes ma’am,” I said.

_Wait…Oh no…_

She turned to Von.

 _“You_ we need tonight.” She shrugged apologetically. “I’m sorry. Shouldn’t take more than a few hours, though.”

“All right, I’ll meet you – “

“No.” Ni shook her head. “It has to be now. Security and all that – there’s a shuttle waiting.” She pointed at the turbolift, where two annoyed techs in coveralls were holding the door.

“Oh…” Von looked back to me, worry creasing his features. “Now?”

“I’ll be ok Von,” I said, forcing a smile. “It’s like five minutes away. I need to get on the tram.”

“Damn right you do,” said Ni. “You look like you’re ready to drop. Ok. Time is of the essence…” She jerked her thump towards the terminal. 

“Comm me when you get home,” Von whispered when Ni’s back was turned. 

“Ok,” I said. “Hey, don’t worry...I’ll see you Monday.”

I hurried off down the corridor while they were still in my line of sight.

 

*

 

It was the longest walk of my life. 

_Just keep moving,_ I thought, gripping my shoulder bag tight to stop my hands shaking. The carpet ended shortly after Von left, so every step I took in the now deserted corridor clicked sharply on the black marble. I took long strides, and walked as fast as I could without it turning into a run. No sense in looking like prey.

_You do this every day. Keep walking._

It worked until my tram pass slipped out of my fingers about 100 yards from the exit.

Cursing, I dropped to my knees and cast around for the plastisteel token. I’d just spotted it, gleaming dully against the wall, when there was a deafening _clunk,_ followed by a shuddering _buzz._

The power went out the instant my fingers closed around the token.

I scrambled to my feet with a gasp, reaching out blindly until I found the wall. For a moment, I just stood there, in limbo, clinging to the durasteel, my heart in my mouth. The silence was absolute. The air, dead, save for my own panicked breath.

Something _rustled_ in the dark. I clapped my hand over my mouth, barely cutting off a scream.

 _Cloth on stone. Soft shoes, maybe? A few yards behind me…_

I splayed my palm flat against the wall, and turned towards the exit as quietly as I could. I took a step, winced as my heel _clicked_ on the floor. 

More rustling, followed by a heavy thud. I took a step. 

Another _thud._ And another, louder this time. _Footsteps._

_Still a few yards away…_

Breath scorched the back of my neck. 

_Mmm…_

I screamed, kicked off my heels, and ran.

 

*

 

Somehow they let me on the tram without shoes.

 _Maybe pantyhose counts,_ I thought, staring numbly at the ticket droid, and the blinking ‘No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service’ sign. _It’s a big city. Not all species need foot covers. Or appendage covers. It’s speciesist, really…Maybe the algorithm is species-specific…_

Not that anybody in the packed tram car really noticed, or cared. Friday night in Galactic City kind of had that effect on people.

But the car was brightly lit, obnoxiously loud, and gloriously filthy. Everyone was going somewhere. I was squished in between a snoring Trandoshan and what looked (and smelled) like the cursed offspring of a Hutt and an extremely creative Devaronian. A Togruta couple and their three children were struggling with bags of groceries, arguing amicably over what to eat for dinner. 

In other words, it was pretty safe. 

I still didn’t relax until I stumbled into my apartment, set the three locks and two deadbolts, and pulled my hold-out blaster out of its box in my nightstand. I left Von a message, and ate my dinner facing the door, the blaster set to 'kill.' I climbed into bed after a long, hot shower, blaster within easy reach. It was hours before I fell asleep. 

 

*

The shadow shapes stilled and then folded into a pile, the room full of the sound of heavy breathing, and the light rustle of post-coital humans getting comfortable.

 _Here we go again,_ I thought, staring dully at the crisscross of metal and wood over my head. 

“Can we just stay here?” Amidala whispered, after a long moment. “It’s a long ride to 500 Republica.”

It wasn’t, but, well…Her brain was probably a bit fuzzy. _Mine certainly would be._ Though I suspected that it would be rather more than fuzzy if this kept up for much longer. I didn’t know how many more nights of this I could take.

And if even an adrenaline-fueled sprint through the Senate corridors wasn’t enough to get me some nice, normal…

“Not tonight,” Palpatine replied after a long moment. “Head to my private turbolift at the end of the floor. I’ll join you in a moment. There’s something I need to take care of.” 

“All right…Just give me a minute.”

They lay quietly for a time. _Too quietly._ I dug my fingers into my bare thighs, trying my damndest to slow down my breathing. My heart was pounding so hard with fear and -- _still, after all this time_ \-- arousal that I was sure that they would hear it. 

But no. Amidala rose, and padded off to the ‘fresher while Palpatine swung his legs over the side -- _my side_ \-- and headed for the pile of clothes.

I tensed, waiting for him to see me, for the damn dream to move ahead.

Nothing. He didn’t even look. I lay there, stiff as a board, as Palpatine picked up Amidala’s dress and walked towards the ‘fresher. 

_Ok,_ I thought, when the ‘fresher door clicked shut. _What the actual fuck?_ I listened intently, waiting for the sound of the shower.

Nothing.

The air was still, save for the faint _whirr_ of an air purifier, somewhere overhead. I pressed my hand to my chest and squeezed my eyes shut. I breathed deep, filling my lungs, and set a steady rhythm, calming my heart. 

The room was, as far as I could tell, empty. The ‘fresher, too. 

_Is this it?_ I thought, my heart fluttering with hope. _Is this the end?_ Was the Force finally cutting me a break? Had my brain decided that it’d had enough of this? 

_Not that it was all bad…_

I scowled, annoyed at myself. It wasn’t like my stupid infatuation was just going to disappear, but stark, vivid dreams like this just weren’t…

_You’re still in it._

I gulped. I was, wasn’t I? Usually the dream ended quite abruptly, either in the middle of the Chancellor and Senator’s liaison, or with me on my back, shaking, full of excitement spiced with fear. 

_Well, if the script is different…_ I steeled myself and rolled out from under the bed.

I got slowly to my feet, looking around warily.

The room was eerily silent. The lush, red sheets were still rumpled, hanging off one side of the mattress. The air hung heavy around me, hot and thick. I flushed, both from the heat emanating from the massive fireplace -- _when did that get there?_ \-- and the heady, musky scent swamping my senses. It pressed close, enveloping me in a gentle, insistent caress. My head swam with the crackle of flames. The tension in my muscles trickled away…The bed suddenly looked like the most comfortable thing in the world. I took a step forward, and froze as light, slick cloth slid against my skin. I looked down.

 _Definitely a dream._ I certainly didn’t own anything that even vaguely resembled what I was wearing; a wisp of white shimmersilk that barely covered my hips. A nightdress, the kind that wasn’t meant to be worn for very long. I looked up, swallowing as I took in my reflection in the mirror that had suddenly appeared on the other side of the bed. Total nudity would have been less suggestive. 

_Just a dream,_ I reminded myself as I reflexively crossed my arms over my chest. _Nobody’s looking. Nobody cares. Weird stuff happens in dreams._

My upstairs brain wasn’t exactly in control, however. All of my instincts were telling me to run…or to stay and be caught, spread wide, and devoured like the soft, vulnerable creature that I was…

_And the problem with that is…?_

“Shut up,” I muttered, and kept my arms where they were. Maybe later, in another time, a different dream. A _proper_ dream, not this sharp slice of almost-reality, this by-product of my mind trying to process something too strange to handle in the light of day.

I eyed the door. I could make it. It was just a few yards away, on the other side of the bed…

 _You can’t go out there,_ a voice hissed directly in my ear. _Not dressed like…that._

I jumped. 

“Hello?” I whispered. Sweat beaded on my brow, between my breasts. “Who’s there?”

Silence.

_Dream. It’s a dream._

The voice had a point, though. I cast around for something to put on; this turning into a ‘walk into the office naked’ dream was the absolute last thing I needed. I found the Chancellor’s robes, still in a pile on the floor. I’d just reached down when I heard the voice again, louder this time.

 _You don’t need that,_ it purred. 

The sound rumbled deep in my bones. I looked down.

The black space under the bed wasn’t empty anymore. 

It had teeth.

I stumbled back, my hand flying to my mouth, feet tangling in the pile of robes.

 _You’re not going anywhere._

The world swooped sickeningly. My thigh hit a small side table, sending a bottle of wine crashing to the floor. Glass skittered across the carpet as red liquid pooled dark and viscous around my feet, soaking the Chancellor’s robes. Vaguely, I registered a flash of pain as shards of glass slashed at my arm, my flank, ripping through my nightdress. Scraps of shimmersilk fluttered in the air. 

Then a pair of arms closed around my waist, and jerked me backward into a warm, firm chest. 

I swayed against him, dizzy with shock, and so didn’t resist when Palpatine swept me up in his arms and threw me onto the bed.

“Sit,” he snapped, when I yelped and tried to roll back off. 

I sat.

 _There’s nowhere else to sit,_ I thought as I covered myself as best as I could with my hands, trying to shove the sudden flood of thoughts and possibilities back into the gutter where they belonged. _You’re in a phenomenal amount of shit, remember? Don’t assume. This doesn’t mean anything._ I still couldn’t stop the shiver dancing up my legs when his gaze raked over me. I pressed my thighs together, flushing at his smirk.

“Sir, I…”

“Silence.” My jaw snapped shut. I shivered, primal fear skittering down my spine, twisting in with the heat pooling low in my stomach. 

Time slowed to a crawl. He just…stood there, arms crossed, watching me. I bit my lip, and held back the sob building in my chest, awash in conflicting instincts. _Pull him closer. Run like hell._

One thing, though, was as clear as day.

 _It’s different this time,_ I thought. Every second I spent under that piercing gaze felt less and less like a dream. He was opening me up, pulling everything I was out into the firelight.

I lowered my arms slowly. I could have been wearing a category 5 environment suit, and it wouldn’t have mattered. Shame still stabbed at me when his eyes flickered to where the frayed shimmersilk stretched across my chest. His lips curled into a sneer.

“Explain yourself.”

“I – “

“Do not lie to me, girl,” he snapped. “The truth, or face the consequences.”

“There was a service request,” I blurted. “The Holonet went down. I was up there – “ I pointed at the vent I’d fallen out of. “Looking for the net box. I almost hit the security sensors, and I – I panicked, and…” My shoulders drooped. “I…Fell, and then I kind of rolled –“

Palpatine laughed.

Something between a sob and a scream burst out of my throat. He leaned in close, pale eyes boring into mine.

 _“Liar,”_ he hissed in my ear. 

“What? No! I swear I – “

I cried out as his hand fisted in my hair and _twisted._

“A Holonet technician?” he scoffed. “Dressed like _that?”_ He slid a finger underneath the shoulder strap, smirking. “Not that the view isn’t…appealing, but I can’t have just anyone slink in past security, now can I?” He pulled the strap tight. “How did you get in here?”

“I’m not lying!” I gasped out. “I have clearance, I - I’m so sorry sir, I didn’t mean –“ 

Palpatine sighed and shook his head. 

“Once again…Why are you here?” His voice dropped disturbingly low. 

The words died in my throat. He wasn’t going to believe me. Not in _this_ dream, anyway. But what could I do? 

_Wake up!_

I squeezed my eyes shut, and tried to think of mundane things; paperwork, wires, cables, scrolling numbers, the way the firelight was catching in his eyes…

It wasn’t working.

“It was an accident. I - I’m not a spy sir,” I whispered. “I don’t – “ 

I made myself look at him. My fingers closed around a fold of his red shimmersilk bedrobe.

“I would never hurt you sir.” My eyes filled with tears. “Never.”

There was a long silence. 

Then the mattress dipped. Palpatine released my hair, and traced smooth, gentle patterns along the side of my neck until my fingers tightened in his robe. Then he gripped my chin, turned me to face him, and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

His free hand trailed down my flank, settling low on my hip. 

“It’s quite all right,” he murmured. “But I _do_ need the truth.” 

“I – “ He smoothed my protest away with the pad of his thumb.

“The truth, my dear…” He smiled against my throat. “Did you come here to fuck?”

My eyes widened.

“…Sir? How do you mean?”

I kicked myself as soon as the words were out of my mouth. Palpatine smirked, tightened his grip on my hips, and pressed me into the mattress.

Blood pounded in my head as he leaned over me, one long, elegant finger tracing a line from my lips to the remains of my nightdress, pausing at the curve of my breast, just over my heart. I shivered under his hands, my thighs parting ever-so-slightly.

“Your – Your Excellency – I –“

“Shhh…” Palpatine pressed a fingertip to my lips. “If you’re going to speak…It’s ’My Lord.’ Say it…”

I blinked up at him in confusion. His smile cut right to my core.

_Well, why not?_

“My…Lord?” 

“Good…”

The nightdress vanished. So did his robe.

I arched my back, gasping as teeth dragged across my neck. My fingers dug into his surprisingly firm shoulders, grounding myself as he pressed a knee between my legs.

“Your Ex – My Lord?” 

“Yes, Ms. Auger?” he murmured into my shoulder, one hand sliding down my body.

“Is this – Are you – Oh!”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that, Ms. Auger.” He tightened his grip on my hips and shifted his thigh, spreading me open.

“Ah! Are you – Am I – My Lord, is this real?”

He paused, gazing down at me, bracing himself on his elbows. I sank back into the pillows, trying to catch my breath. The air grew still. 

“Am I dreaming?” I whispered. The roaring fire faded to a faint glow. Suddenly, I could barely make out his face. His body, though, hung warm and heavy over me, thrumming with blood and _power._

“What is real?” he whispered. 

And then the bed was empty. The last of the fire died. Cold unlike anything I had ever known flooded the room, cutting into my bare skin. I cursed, and tugged a sheet up around me.

“Hello?”

The echo was entirely wrong for a room that small. A now-familiar shiver ran down my spine. 

_Oh no._

Breath scorched the back of my neck.

I opened my mouth to scream, but it was as if an iron band had wrapped itself around my neck. Terror shook my mind as an invisible force jerked my head back, exposing my neck. 

_It’s a dream, a dream a dream a --_

The chokehold lifted, long enough for me to scream when teeth scraped along my throat, pressing delicately over my jugular, as though considering.

I opened my eyes, and screamed again. A pair of feral eyes hovered over me, the irises stained a sickly yellow shot through with blood. I screamed silently as the thing drew closer. Teeth pierced my left shoulder…

…And I woke up. The ceiling was blissfully bland, the sheets just slightly scratchy. I was fully dressed in an oversized tunic and light linen sleep pants. 

I could still feel the pressure ringing my throat. And that awful _noise…_

Reality snapped into focus. My bedside comm was blaring. _Priority 1._

I flailed out, hit the connection button.

“Who is it?” I rasped.

Ni’s face snapped into focus. 

“Wake up, Auger,” my boss called. 

“Wake…What are you…”

“I need you to come in.”

I blinked at her. The noises coming out of the holo just…weren’t…

“Livia?”

“What?”

Ni sighed, rubbing at her eyes. 

“We need you on-site to help with the Alpha grid. Von went home, the techs are stumped…” She threw up her arms helplessly. “Just…get here by 9 tomorrow, ok?”

“No!” 

It burst out before I could stop it.

“Auger! Control yourself.”

“I’m sorry!” I rasped, pressing a hand to my forehead. “I’m just…Why? Why me?” _Why indeed…_

“Livia, seriously, calm down. This is a _good_ thing!” Ni rolled her eyes. “You _do_ realize that you’re on the fast track for promotion, right? And think of the overtime.” 

I nodded slowly, my throat dry as sandpaper. 

“Fine,” I said, my voice hoarse. “I’ll be there…Ni?”

“Hmm?”

“When’s he due back?” My boss shrugged.

“Sometime tomorrow morning. You know they never tell us much more than that. Security, and all. Don’t worry, the Senate guards will sweep the apartment first. They’ll get you out of there _long_ before he shows. And anyway, even if they don’t…” Ni leaned closer to the holo feed and smirked. “Just tell him that you heard his network needs…servicing. Or that you can fix his data uplink cable. Or – “

“Goodbye Ni,” I snapped. _Well, this is what I get for admitting to a crush._

“Offer to get his stream going! Because you’ve got the right equipment, and you heard he’s read the manual. Say – “

I killed the feed before I could say something that I’d regret in the morning. Then I hauled myself out of bed and shuffled into the kitchen, stretching my arms over my head. The yawn turned into a wince as pain stabbed at my left shoulder. 

_The hell…_

The area was sore and red, and was likely going to darken into a spectacular bruise. 

It was a bite mark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. FML this is turning into the mutant hell-spawn of _Nightmare on Elm Street_ and _Days of Our Lives._  
>  2\. OH NOES ~~who~~ whatever will she find in Palpatine's penthouse?? What will she doooooo? xD  
>  3\. I honest-to-God have no idea how well the 1st-person POV worked out this time. Especially in the dream *runs away* What did you think? Too far? O_O


	3. Delirium: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Livia heads to Palpatine's 500 Republica apartment (well, floor...) ~~to find that super secret Sithly communication line between Sidious and Tyranus~~ to service Palpatine's network. She gets into trouble. Again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm splitting this chapter up into 2 pieces because it's almost 4000 words already, and it looks like the next part might be even _longer._

The 500 Republica community took security and, (perhaps more importantly) privacy seriously. The building pamphlet declared proudly (and accurately), that there hadn’t been a theft of any sort in over fifty years. Or a prosecutable crime…

 _And having an army of lawyers on call doesn’t hurt,_ I thought. _Who says that you can’t buy everything?_

Thanks to the night-gathering scopes, thermal scans, electromagnetic flux fields, and a load of other tech that I couldn’t pronounce, breaking in was, in a word, challenging. 

And that wasn’t even counting the enforcers. The building security team kept an eye on the halls, the central turbolifts, and the numerous ‘support’ suites. The latter included everything from specialized laundry and food services to massage parlors and ballrooms for entertaining guests. Residents who owned floors (or renters with enough credits), usually installed additional layers of security, and even hired extra watchmen…most of whom didn’t know what the stun setting did. 

Thieves tended to just…disappear. Having an army of lawyers on call had its benefits. Trying to break in at least once and _surviving_ gave you a hell of a whole lot of street cred on the less than reputable side of Coruscant. 

And that was for _normal_ residents. Chancellor Palpatine’s system was a gualaar of a different color. 

For starters, it was _completely_ self-contained. Palpatine’s security detail handled everything. They controlled who went in and when, who got in, who did what, and to whom…Von had commed me shortly after I’d gotten the call from Ni. Apparently a Red Guard had been shadowing him the entire time he’d been working.

It hadn’t exactly helped. Von had only ever seen the ‘guts’ of Palpatine’s personal data system a handful of times, and had certainly never worked on it himself. It would have been nasty even without a silent, blood-red shadow looming over him while he worked.

Through the haze of exhaustion, he’d said that the most likely cause of the disruption – if it turned out to be an actual security breach – was someone who already had access, someone on the inside, because he sure as shit couldn’t find anything wrong with the tech.

Which was why straight-up _fear_ was beating out my standard job-related anxiety as I stood on the threshold of the Chancellor’s private entrance to 500 Republica. I stared numbly at the shining access lock, shifting from foot to foot as the data system processed my credentials, trying my damndest not to think about the implications. 

The list of people close enough to Palpatine to get that kind of clearance was very, _very_ short. I wasn’t privy to the complete list, but everyone on it had one thing in common; power.

 _And people with_ that _kind of power…_ People like that destroyed people like me without a thought. My hand shook as I pressed my palm against the biometric scan. 

_Accidents happen. Army of lawyers. Everyone can be replaced. Who’s going to miss you? Your parents? Your coworkers? They’re_ nobodies. _Who’d listen to a few nobodies from the Midlevels?_

Who’d _miss_ a few nobodies from the Midlevels?

If I actually found something, I’d be putting them all at risk.

It was almost enough to wipe the dream out of my mind. Not even the Chancellor at my back would be enough to protect me. 

_At. My. Back._

I bit my lip as a few choice moments from the blood-red bed flooded my senses. 

_Well, shit. Great job, brain!_

At least it hadn’t gone _that_ far. If it had, I probably wouldn’t have been able to look him in the eye again, not after he’d -- 

_\-- tightened his grip on my hips and shifted his thigh, spreading me open --_

_It was a dream, you kriffing moron!_

Wasn’t it? _How could I have imagined --_

_\-- sweat and skin sliding under my hands as teeth raked over my pulse --_

I winced as the strap on my tool bag ground against the wound – no, the _bite --_ on my left shoulder.

 _Did you dream_ that?

Every instinct I had said ‘no.’ But how?

I caught my reflection in the polished, mirrorlike metal of the wall. I had slightly more color in my cheeks, thanks to my brief rest. Despite the way it had ended, I’d still gotten more sleep than I had in quite a long time. 

What if the dreams were the price of my rest? 

_Would that be so bad?_

I squeezed my eyes shut, and called the dark, the cold, the terror into the front of my mind. 

_\-- feral eyes hovered over me, irises stained a sickly yellow shot through with blood. I screamed silently as the thing --_

But even then…I…I’d almost…

_Next time I’ll lose the covers…_

I shook my head to clear it. 

_Puzzle it out later. Over booze. Right now, just do your damn job!_

There was a _ping,_ and the turbolift blast door slid open. Apparently both my picture and my genetic profile were already in the authorized personnel databank.

 _Well, I’m technically on his tech team,_ I thought. _But…_

Confusion crept in as I stepped into the lift. Wouldn’t I have been notified if I’d gotten a clearance increase like this? This sort of thing just _didn’t_ get authorized fast enough for this to have been a spur-of-the-moment thing. Von’s team had been escorted inside by the Red Guards on standby. I was going in solo.

And apparently the Chancellor was ok with that. And with a few other things, such as my -- 

_That. Didn’t. Happen. Don’t read anything into it. Maybe they_ were _going to notify you. Like, tomorrow…_

The turbolift panel _pinged_ impatiently. I checked my instruction holo, and keyed in the code for Palpatine’s living quarters.

 _You probably won’t have to go anywhere near his bedroom,_ I reminded myself as the lift whirred upwards. _Plenty of other places it could be._

Ni had laid it all out for me on my datapad. Chancellor’s suite took up three floors, though Palpatine really only used the middle one. The top and bottom floors were for housing guests, holding meetings and events…and to provide a buffer between his living area and the rest of the building. They were stuffed with security sensors and a round-the clock guard detail. His staff called them ‘the clamshell.’ 

The setup also meant that the Chancellor had a certain amount of privacy. Even before his election, Palpatine had been known to keep mostly to himself. Since his chambers were sandwiched in between the two buffer zones, he’d successfully pressed to keep the internal surveillance to a bare minimum. I didn’t really blame him. 

I wouldn’t want a few dozen beings watching _me_ sleep, or shower, or…whatever…

I paged through the datapad, pulled up the power link. My eyebrows shot up.

It looked like he could turn off the sensors when he wanted to.

_Interesting…_

I was beginning to see how he could have been, eh, ‘carrying on’ with Senator Amidala without getting caught. At least I _assumed_ they’d been at it for awhile…Given the way they’d been talking, it definitely sounded like an established thing.

It explained a lot, too. If I hadn’t been banned from the ‘who’s screwing who’ office betting pool, I would have put a _lot_ of money on ‘secret romance’; one of the options on Amidala’s card. It certainly explained why one of the most eligible Senators in the Rotunda never seemed to have a date. 

_Von would lose a lot of money if this ever gets out…_ He and Cheri had put several hundred credits on a Jedi General; Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

Now _that_ was just ridiculous. I’d only met Kenobi once, and while he and Amidala were clearly very good friends, I could _not_ see her taking him to bed. Because something like that could never be any more than a fling, or some casual fun in between deployments. 

I’d had my ear talked off by enough friends to know the way those things went. You couldn’t throw a rock in the government district without hitting someone who’d slept with a Jedi. Cheri, for instance, would _not_ shut up about her weekend with a freshly-Knighted Togruta, even six months after the fact. My friend Cat – a Midlevel ‘club dancer’ -- had hooked up with a Padawan when she was training. It had apparently rocked their worlds…Especially Cat, who was mildly Force Sensitive. 

I avoided her comm calls the entire time she was seeing him (and for a few months afterwards); There were only so many times I could listen to her waxing philosophical about becoming ‘one with the Force.’ 

_Well, little Jedi have to come from somewhere,_ I thought. And while ‘attachment’ was forbidden, Jedi were pretty much free to fool around as much as they liked. Sometimes I wondered what, exactly, that meant, but standing on the outside, looking in…I was just glad that Cat hadn’t gotten her heart broken. 

But Kenobi…He didn’t strike me as someone who hooked up. He’d either be all in or not even bother.

No, If I’d been allowed to bet on anyone, it would have been on General _Skywalker,_ because seriously, the way he looked at Amidala just _dripped_ sex…And I had a better measure of him than I did of Kenobi. Ever since I’d started managing Palpatine’s in-office systems full-time, it seemed as if General Skywalker was always underfoot when he wasn’t out with the fleet. Between him randomly popping in for a quick meeting with Palpatine in the conference room in the back of his office, and talking over everyone else in the room except for Amidala (and Palpatine, now that I thought of it…), he’d made a bit of an impression. He struck me as someone who thought that Rules were for other people. An interesting quality in a Jedi.

I didn’t think that anyone had bet on Palpatine. Which was probably just as well. You never knew who was listening, these days. 

After a few moments, the turbolift doors opened with a _ping,_ and I stepped out into the softly lit hallway. Thick, crimson carpet muffled my footsteps as I headed towards the main entrance. I moved quickly, and tried not to let my imagination run away from me. 

_There’s nothing here,_ I thought. _Except the guards. Nothing can get past them. And they’re watching you right now on the ‘scopes._

It didn’t work. The creeping cold from my nightmare was edging its way back into my mind. The fatigue, too…I shivered, rubbing at my eyes. Yes, I’d gotten more sleep than usual, but not enough to be at maximum capacity. 

_I hope Von left me some caff…_

It was almost enough to wish that I had a Red Guard hanging over _my_ shoulder. It’d be distracting, sure, and might slow me down. But I wouldn’t be alone. I’d have something to blame for any odd dislocated noises, or creaking floors and footsteps, or little whispers of air, or hot breath on my... 

_Stop. It,_ I thought, angry with myself. _Just get it done, and get out of here._

I reached Palpatine’s door, and held my ID card up to the scanner. The door hissed open. I took a deep breath, and stepped inside. 

 

*

 

The window panels did not respond to my command, so I cranked the lights up as high as they would go. Unfortunately, the intensity was apparently triggered by motion and proximity, so as I crossed the elegant living room, the shadows were right behind me. 

I triggered all the display lighting, too, and in a lot of ways, that made it _worse._ A few times I just had to pause, and take in the view of the artwork lining the entryway and walls…lovely, twisting sculptures that appeared to writhe and shift, depending on the way the light was hitting them; at times, cool and peaceful, but the flickering shape I cast warped the smooth stone into jarring, monstrous forms.

They looked _alive._

 _Just my imagination…and an extremely clever sculptor._ How the being had drawn _that_ out of stone was something I’d never understand. 

It didn’t do much for my peace of mind, though…I ended up keeping my eyes on the rich carpet as I walked towards the hallway at the end of the living room. The illusion of motion in my peripheral vision was rapidly shattering whatever calm I’d grasped. 

_Do your job and get out._

I pulled up the floor plan, looking for a good place to set up shop. Everything in the living room looked as though it cost more than I made in a year; I didn’t want to risk breaking anything. I settled on a small kitchen a few paces into the hallway beyond the living room. 

Apparently, Von had had the same idea, and, bless him, he’d left me some caff. Granted, it was cold and syrupy, but still, caff is caff. I set up my datapad and sensor array on the kitchen table, and paged through the network link list while the microwave heated up the caff. I hummed quietly to myself while the system connected. It was a little better in here, much brighter, and had a clean, tasteful look that I often saw in cooking Holo shows. 

I wondered how often he used the stove, or the cutting board stashed under the eggshell cabinets. 

_Focus, Livia._

I tore my mind away from the jarring intimacy of my surroundings, and traced the Holonet map – blue lines sparking across the display like neuron pulses in a human brain – with my stylus. I cloned the structure to the mini holo-projector, and went to work, dropping and dragging energy pulses and information flow, testing the different data conduits….It was almost like working with the lighting circuits in my parents’ first apartment. 

_Fuses and cables…Amperage, voltage…_ My father had been an electrician, back before he met Mom, and moved up into the Midlevels. We’d lived in Level M-3 -- one of the places that gave that part of Galactic City a bad name -- until I was about 15. While he’d gotten a job repairing droids in the Refinery – considerably less dangerous than kriffing around with ancient power cables – he’d still stepped in to help when the lights went out in the common areas. He’d taught me everything he knew. Just in case.

You never knew when you might have to siphon power off of an Upper-Crust building, after all. 

And some days, it hit me just how much my job had in common with his. I just messed around with data and Holo lines instead of copper wire and rusty, oil-powered generators. And people snooping on said Holo lines instead of desperate Underdwellers leeching electricity off of a brothel or bar.

_He’d have been good at this._

The ghost link popped up after 20 minutes.

 _No wonder they got stumped…_

Calling the thing intermittent would have been an understatement. It only existed when I threaded power to three tiny lines. And I had to up the magni to over 700 to even see them.

I pulled up the floor plan. Every Underdweller curse word I’d ever heard rocketed through my head.

_Fuck. My. Life._

It was in Palpatine’s bedroom.

 

*

 

There was nothing I could do. No way I could avoid it without being asked _why._

_Do your job and get the hell out._

I calibrated the datapad scanner, and followed the signal deeper into Palpatine’s apartment. Hope blossomed briefly when I saw the security lock on his bedroom door – 

_Maybe I’ll have to call in the Red Guards. There’s no way I’d have access to his_ bedroom, _right?_

But I wasn’t having that kind of day. The door hissed open with a tap of my ID card.

I gulped as the lights flickered on. Palpatine’s bedroom had a lot in common with his nap-room in the Senate building, but on a much grander scale. The room was dominated by an Alderaanian relaxa-bed big enough for at least five people (seven if they got really friendly). There was a heavy, brocade canopy and curtains, supported by four intricately carved posts. The curtain was pulled back with a silk rope, revealing a swath of rich red bedding. 

I was beginning to sense a theme, here.

Not that it wasn’t quite…evocative…I tightened my grip on the scanner as heat flooded my abdomen. 

_Focus, Livia!_

My feet carried me forward. The wild carvings on the bedposts filled my vision, dripping with strange _purpose._ They were pictures…no…they were _words…_ The air thrummed with possibilities, lines of meaning, the pressure of invisible sound. 

I could almost hear it. 

I reached out to touch, one knee pressing into the mattress. 

…And stopped. My fingertips wavered in the air, millimeters from the dark wood. 

I’d felt this before. Several times, in fact, but never like this. The trickle of insidious compulsion, though… _That_ I ran into all too frequently, but it was always clumsy, rough, sweaty hands pawing at the will, trying to bend a weak mind to feed some twisted desire.

This wasn’t a random Sensitive in a bar trying to get me into an alley. This was a soft touch with clean, skilled hands. Sweet words twined with claws, a voice that gentled frightened prey. 

I jumped back, shaking. 

The black hole in my memory suddenly made a lot more sense. 

_His voice swelled, deep and soft, drowning out the clamor in my head…_

“No one can control what happens in dreams…”

I turned away, thrashing against the waves of panic swamping my gut.

_You’re imagining things._

“Yeah, that’s what my Mom said, too,” I muttered. 

_Right before that Devaronian set our building on fire._

“I’m not crazy,” I said, aloud. “I’m not dreaming.”

_I’m being hunted._

The siren song of the glyphs keened in my mind.

_Or played with._

I shook myself. They’d know something was wrong if I just up and left. I’d get the readings I needed, and then get the hell back to the office to report. And possibly sleep there.

I would very definitely _not_ think about the implications of my discovery. It would be better if I actually _was_ crazy.

_And maybe I am…_

I hauled up the scanner, and rebooted it to get a clean signal. It took me around the bed, towards the back of the room, near a walk-in closet. I pointed it at the wooden door, and the indicator glowed green.

_Shiny…_

I opened the door, and stepped inside. 

Instantly, red light flooded my vision. Somebody screamed. 

 

*

 

I came to slumped against the wall, just inside the closet door. The scanner lay in pieces at my feet. Red light crackled across my vision, stabbing sickeningly behind my eyes. 

And I couldn’t move.

Well, I could breathe, and blink, and feel every inch of my body (so that was something) but no matter how hard I tried, I might as well have been glued to the floor of the closet. 

_How long was I out?_ I thought fuzzily. The only light was the faint red glow emanating from thin lines etched into the back of the closet door, and, strangely, looped around my wrists and throat. _I guess the overhead went out when I didn’t trip the motion sensors…But why didn’t the guards…Oh…_

They were just watching the _door,_ and maybe the vestibule. No surveillance in Palpatine’s private abode. For all they knew, I was just stumped. 

_Well, at least I don’t have to pee,_ I thought. It was a strange thing, being frozen like this while my mind was merrily churning with images of an extremely pissed off Palpatine in a bathrobe and slippers, opening his closet door and finding _me_ staring up at him. 

And if it turned out that I _wasn’t_ crazy, and I _hadn’t_ dreamed of sort-of catching him and Amidala in the act, then he’d…

…Well, I didn’t know what he’d do.

And considering what I’d felt near the bed, I really, really didn’t want to find out. 

I cast a desperate prayer to the Force, the Shadow-Father, the Light-Mother, and every god, goddess, and ancestral spirit I could think of that the guards would find me first, or Von or Ni would come looking for me if I didn’t report in, or…

But I wasn’t having that kind of day. 

The red light binding my limbs flared hot, hot enough to make me _scream_ if I hadn’t been paralyzed. Pressure built behind my eyes. 

_Oh no…_

Light filled the bedroom, and I rocketed straight from alarm to total panic as I realized that the closet door was _open._ Thankfully, I was nearly completely in shadow, my body slumped against the side wall, partially obscured by a rack of opulent robes. But little pieces of the scanner were clearly visible in the soft light.

And I had a crystal-clear view of the bed.

Which meant that I was suddenly very, very grateful for whatever was keeping me silent and frozen when a man in a Jedi robe stepped into my line of sight.

He strode confidently over to the bedside table and rummaged around in a drawer, giving a quiet _mmph_ of satisfaction when his fingers closed around a small glass vial. He set it down next to the bed and lowered his hood.

I would have screamed if I’d been able. Instead I watched with mingled fascination and horror as Anakin Kriffing Skywalker shrugged off his outer robes and laid them on the bed.

_Oh no. Oh no. Oh no no no no no…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. YOU IN DANGER GIRL  
> 2\. Yeah, I went there...Livia is kinda Force Sensitive. My headcanon about this is that there are actually a _lot_ of Sensitives in the Galaxy Far Far Away...It's just that most of them can't do much. Slightly enhanced reflexes? Check. Weird hunches? Check. Telekinesis? Maybe, just not much. Subtle mind control? Heck yes.  
>  3\. So Livia isn't going to automatically think 'OMG MY CRUSH MESSED WITH MY HEAD HE'S A SITH.'  
> 4\. It's sort-of canon (thanks to the novel _Darth Plagueis,_ and, yes, I remembered this) that Force Sensitives get thrown out of casinos...Which kind of backs up my theory. It's common enough (and useful enough) for casinos to plan for it.


	4. Delirium: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin isn't alone for long. Things escalate. Livia is...conflicted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, there's one more part of 'Delirium' coming...heh...

The Jedi sat down on the end of the mattress and pulled of his boots, kicking them under the bed lazily. Then he stood, faced the closet, and stripped out of his leather tabards with practiced efficiency. _Those_ were dumped unceremoniously into a corner. Not that I was in any position to notice, because his hands moved to the snaps of his undertunic, and…

…And…And, well, I was tied up with some sort of burny red energy thing, ok? So was it _my_ fault that I couldn’t look away? No! 

Skywalker’s hand drifted down his sculpted chest towards his waistband. His hand slid under the thin material. I squeezed my eyes shut as his trousers started to slide down his hips. 

_Oh Force…This is NOT happening._

There was a whisper of cloth, a groan, and a shuffle-thud that made me open my eyes again.

I was immediately thrown into a twisting maelstrom of conflict. 

One part of me was glad that he was facing the bed…the part that wasn’t quite ready to see _that_ much Jedi, and remembered many a stern talking-to from my mother. Another part was glad he was facing the bed, but for a very different reason. A lot of different reasons, actually. Such as the broad stretch of tanned muscle rippling over powerful shoulders. And the way the low light highlighted every edge and dip in his sculpted back, the twin dimples at the base of his spine…And the tight muscle of his flawless ass, clenching as he leaned over the mattress and picked up his discarded robes.

The Jedi temporarily vanished from view – I heard cloth and leather rustling – and I had enough time to wish I knew how the Force worked. 

_Shouldn’t he be able to sense me, or something?_

I had a smidge of the Gift myself, though nowhere near enough to be a Jedi. It came in handy at times, and it was a part of me – I’d given up trying to sort out episodes of normal Human intuition from the Force randomly biting me in the ass – and I wouldn’t get rid of it if I had the option. But nothing that I could do came close to what even the weakest Jedi was supposedly capable of, so I hadn’t really studied it, or pushed at the limits of what I could do.

I was starting to think that I’d been rather short sighted.

Regardless, it _was_ strange. General Skywalker was the best of the best. _Surely_ he’d be able to sense the flood of panic pouring out of my amygdala. I steeled myself and tried to open my mouth and speak – 

\-- The thread around my throat tightened, as if in warning. I screamed silently, black spots blossoming on the edges of my vision. 

_Please – Please I’ll be good – I’ll --_

Somehow I calmed myself down. The burning line throbbed gently, and then loosened somewhat. The pain faded, and the room snapped back into focus. 

I almost wished otherwise. 

My face flushed bright red as I took in a very smug, very _naked_ Jedi reclining on wine-red, silken pillows. I watched dumbly as his legs shifted apart, and his hand trailed down his abdomen, leaving a shining trail of oil behind. He let out a soft sigh, and wrapped his…his half-hard cock in his large, capable hand. His head tipped back as he stroked, coating himself with oil, a lazy smirk spreading across his face as his cock swelled.

 _Cheri wins_ that _bet,_ I thought inanely. Skywalker was, indeed, quite…proportional.

There was a soft intake of breath off to the right. Skywalker’s eyes flicked towards the door. His grin broadened. 

“Surprise,” he drawled. 

There was a low, extremely familiar chuckle. But, also…

“You complete _bastard!”_ hissed Senator Amidala. “Three weeks – three _weeks!_ \-- and no word, no holocall, no – Aaaaargh!” She threw a richly embroidered tunic directly at his head. The Jedi caught it with a laugh, which rapidly became a yelp when she followed it up with a pair of slippers. 

“Hey, our communicator went down!” Skywalker yelped, doing his naked best to look offended. “We smacked the Seppies down faster than we’d expected on Ord Mantell, sooooooo…” He spread his arms and grinned. “I’m back early.”

Amidala freaking _growled,_ and pounced. 

Skywalker surged up to meet her, knocking her elaborate hairstyle into total disarray as their mouths crashed together. She wrapped her arms around his neck and threw her weight forward, pushing him back against the pillows so that she was lying on top of him. The sound of ripping cloth cut through the air as Skywalker tore the back of her shift, baring her slender form from neck to waist. She gasped, and wrenched her mouth away, ignoring his protests. Her delicate hands flashed out, seized him by the wrists, and pinned them to the mattress on either side of his head. 

“It appears that General Skywalker has forgotten a few things…”

My brain locked up. Palpatine stood at the foot of the bed, his back straight, arms crossed… _exactly_ the way he had when I’d cowered on the mattress in his nap room. He glared at Skywalker, a strange glint in his pale eyes. 

A look of contrition instantly flashed across the Jedi’s handsome face. He stopped struggling, and kept his arms on the mattress as Amidala settled back onto his thighs and pulled the remains of her shift over her head. 

I knew, in that instant, that I was in trouble. A _lot_ of trouble. 

_Shut your eyes. Keep ‘em closed, you…you…_

But it was like watching a speeder crash, or a battle news-holo. I couldn’t look away, not even when Palpatine rounded the bed with a whisper of shimmersilk, and sat on the edge of the mattress. 

Of _course_ it was on the side closest to my hiding place. 

“What do you say, General?” came Amidala’s soft whisper. She smiled, running her hands up and down Skywalker’s chest, lingering at the hollow of his throat. He swallowed, his sides quivering with the effort of staying still. 

“What – what would you have of me? Padmé, I – “

“Shh…” Amidala pressed a finger to his lips. “We _are_ glad to have you back. Safe. Sound…” She smiled evilly and dug her fingers into his sides. “But still rather…forgetful. Now Chancellor…What happens to forgetful Generals?” She glanced over her shoulder, her dark eyes sparking with promise. Anakin groaned, his fingers twisting in the sheets. 

“Hmm…” Palpatine leaned onto his side, taking in the scene, his dark robe falling open, and _damn it all to Hell_ he was just as wiry, just as firm and fit as he was in my latest episode of delirium. Finally, he slid up the bed and twined his fingers in Skywalker’s hair, stroking him as he would a pet. A soft sound fell from the Jedi’s parted lips.

“They have to watch,” Palpatine purred. Skywalker’s eyes widened. “And wait.”

Skywalker groaned, and looked imploringly at the beautiful woman astride his thighs. 

“Padmé, please…” 

Finding no mercy there, he turned to Palpatine, lifted one of his hands off the mattress. 

Amidala frowned and swatted his arm.

“Always proving me right,” she said, rolling off of him. Her eyes locked with Palpatine’s. “Now _stay.”_

She pressed close to the Chancellor, biting her lip as his arms circled her waist. My chest grew tight as she opened his robe and slid a hand between them, gasping as he captured her mouth and kissed her deep, hungry. My focus dropped to, of all things, his _hands,_ as those long fingers tensed rhythmically, pressing into pale, flushed skin, leaving pink marks behind as they swept possessively up and down her back. 

I knew the strength in those hands. He was being gentle. 

I swallowed the hard, tight knot in my throat, and looked away. 

There was only one other sight to see, of course…General Skywalker’s handsome face contorted into something rather close to _agony_ as Amidala’s arm moved back and forth, and Palpatine’s hands swept up into her hair. He stayed put, though, biting his lip so hard I was worried he would bruise, chest heaving, shiny with sweat, his thick, flushed cock straining against his stomach. 

Then Amidala pushed Palpatine’s robe aside, baring his chest and shoulders, and everything else fell away. 

I watched, shaking in my bonds as Palpatine rolled her onto her back and shucked his robe. She cried out, her thighs falling open as he cupped a breast, teasing at the hardened peak. Palpatine smirked against her throat, and whispered something in to her ear. Her lips parted. She glanced over at Anakin – at Skywalker. 

“Watch,” she whispered. “And wait.”

She jerked her head towards the bedside table. Skywalker’s groan shook me to the bone. 

My eyes widened as the waiting vial of oil floated through the air, into Skywalker’s outstretched hand.

_He’s not going to --_

But he was. He tipped the bottle carefully into his palm, coating his hand, his fingers, and spread his legs. 

Palpatine’s grin was sharp, full of teeth. He settled between Amidala’s thighs, his eyes sweeping over every inch of her lithe body. Her hands rose up to grip his shoulders. Hard.

“Palpatine…” she whispered. She reached for him, tilting her hips up, opening wide. 

He bared his teeth and thrust hard.

I stopped breathing.

Skywalker’s groan brought me back…though I almost had to look away again when I saw his fingers hard at work between his legs, sliding in and out, obscene sounds filling the room as he opened himself in time to Palpatine’s thrusts. 

I knew I should have looked away. But even if I closed my eyes, I couldn’t block out the creak of bedsprings, the slick slap of flesh. Or the little gasps and low moans falling from Amidala’s throat, or Skywalker’s needy groan. 

But my imagination had always been far worse than reality.

So I watched, awash in jealousy, terror, and horrible, shameful lust as Amidala came completely undone. Palpatine reached over towards Skywalker as she arched her back and screamed. He took the other man’s cock in hand and _squeezed._ The Jedi came with a strangled howl, his fingers pumping furiously. Amidala’s fingers twisted in his hair, pulling roughly as he spilled over his stomach and thighs. 

They fell into a pile together, breathing hard, Amidala’s arm thrown across Skywalker’s chest, Palpatine pulling her tight against him. He laid a kiss on her temple, and stroked her shoulder, murmuring soothing words, clearly meant for both of his guests. I thanked the Force that whatever was holding me still and silent was _also_ stoppering the sob in my chest. But I couldn’t wipe the stinging sweat out of my eyes, or quiet the rush of blood in my head, or the thud of my heart. 

I shut my eyes, and prayed for it to end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More is coming! 
> 
> ...Pun totally intended xD


	5. Delirium: Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Livia struggles to hold onto herself as Padmé, Anakin, and Palpatine come together for a second time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, this gets...weird. Also, note the tags, because it gets disturbing, too.

I must have passed out, because they were at it again when I opened my eyes. Skywalker lay on his stomach, his head supported by a pillow, groaning as Amidala massaged his back. Palpatine was leaning against the headboard, half-covered by a sheet, watching avidly.

“Just relax,” Amidala whispered. Her delicate fingers traced the curve of Skywalker’s spine, making him shiver. 

“I almost did this when I was waiting…Ah…” Skywalker hissed as Padmé -- _no, Amidala_ \-- ground the palm of her hand into his shoulder blade. Palpatine chuckled. He twined a curling lock of Skywalker’s -- _Anakin’s – no – wait, I_ \-- hair between his fingers.

“Interesting, the uses you seem to find for the Force…I imagine it involves an exceptional degree of control.” 

Anaki -- _no, he’s a General, he’s – you can’t call him that_ \-- huffed in mock exasperation.

“That was _one time,”_ he said. “I’d much rather use my – Padmé – ah --” Anakin bit his lip as _Senator Amidala’s_ hands slid to the tight swell of his ass. 

“Well, you were a bit…impatient…” Palpatine murmured. “I could _easily_ have waited until after the meeting.”

His voice reverberated in the dimly lit room…louder than it should have been, especially from my perspective. Almost as if he was speaking directly into my ear. 

Padmé paused. Anakin stiffened, and looked back at her over his shoulder. 

“Um, Padmé?”

“Was this the requisition review with Kuat?” she asked, her eyes narrowing. Anakin smiled sheepishly.

“Ah…Maybe?” 

Padmé laughed.

“I thought you were walking a bit funny,” she said. Her hand disappeared between his cheeks. Anakin gasped, his fingers clenching. 

“And _you,”_ she continued, looking up. “Were entirely too relaxed.” Palpatine cocked an eyebrow. 

“I admit to nothing,” he said archly. “Though your husband _may_ have walked into my office twenty minutes ahead of schedule. And expressed some rather, ah, _interesting_ thoughts involving my desk.”

I was vaguely proud of the fact that my first thought was _‘husband, she just said husband’_ and absolutely not an image of Anakin Skywalker bent over the Chancellor’s desk, naked and panting, biting his arm to stifle his groans as slender, pale fingers gripped his hips…

My bonds tightened, this time around my throat as possessive desire flooded my senses. I screamed silently as darkness spotted my vision, unable to even gasp for air as blood-hunger ground deep.

 _Not mine,_ I thought, my voice sounding thin and pathetic inside my own head. _It’s not…mine…_ Yes, Skywalker was…something to behold, especially now, his head lolling on Palpatine’s lap, gasping as Amidala’s fingers made him jerk and twitch with need. I wouldn’t shoot him down if he came knocking at my door. Probably. Not like that would ever happen…But I didn’t… _wouldn’t_ want him like this, with this all-consuming greed. 

Wouldn’t I?

…Because he had such _power…_ Such potential. No, he _was_ power. The raw, untapped power of a supernova, and so _careless_ of it…No limits. Nothing could stand before me without…

I stilled, appalled at the thoughts spooling up inside my mind. 

_Worlds…Galaxies…Dust and ashes under my feet…_

What possible use would that power be to me? I wasn’t a Jedi, I -- Abruptly, shockingly, sharp words filled my head, lashing out at me from memory.

_Thou shalt not covet._

An old, strange phrase, something my grandmother used to tell me when I threw a tantrum in the market. Or badgered my parents about some pretty thing that a friend was wearing in her hair. An odd little platitude…My mother told me it was a heavy-handed way to stop a child from clinging too hard to things that she could not have. But when my grandmother said it…I’d always gotten the feeling that she meant something far deeper, darker...So much more than little Livia really, _really_ wanting that crystal hairpin.

_Possession. Greed. Endless hunger._

I was looking right at it. It knew me. 

_He,_ I thought, with wild terror. _He knows. He knows I know, now._ It…pleased him to keep me here, alive, and mostly sensate. But who knew how long _that_ would last? 

I could feel it, the mocking hum of lazy amusement at my distress. 

I needed to leave. _Now._ But try as I might, my voice stayed silent, and my limbs refused to move. 

_Please,_ I begged. _Please, just let me go away for now. Let me sleep. Go away inside. I --_

Palpatine tilted his head to the side and looked straight at me.

And smirked. 

_Shhhh…_

It wasn’t words, not exactly…It was intention, pressure in my mind. A slick, humid touch sliding into my senses, pressing at the thin film between my mind and the joining on the bed.

_Watch. Witness._

“He’s ready,” Padmé murmured. Anakin groaned as she kneaded the globes of his ass with shining fingers. “You’re doing wonderfully, Ani…” She slid up his body, arcing over him, dragging her pebbled nipples over his skin. 

The fire-bindings stopped hurting.

I still couldn’t move. But suddenly I didn’t want to. Not with hot breath caressing my abdomen, and slick, delicate fingers were dancing up my back, so far from where I needed them. The hunger inside me bared its teeth, calling for _freedom,_ wanting to bite and tear, to taste the Jedi’s blood. 

And so much more.

_Mine._

And yet…My mind boiled over with need. The sheets were too soft, Padmé’s hands were too small, too gentle, too easily forgotten in the sea of fear and loss. So many slack-eyed faces, broken and eaten by the Separatist war machine. An endless chain of slaughter bleeding my men to death, and twisting my brothers and sisters in the Force into something I didn’t recognize. 

No. I _did_ recognize it. But fear, fear and _cold_ had no place in the Jedi Order. So why – 

If I had any sort of control over my body, I would have thrown up. The world was too sharp for my eyes. But I had to _look,_ had to maintain some sort of separation between my Self and what was happening on the bed. 

I was no Jedi. I grabbed the only tool that I saw; fear. Slowly, I clawed my way back towards my body. I actually made it halfway before Anakin’s voice slashed my control to ribbons.

_“Please…”_

And I was trapped. My ears were full of Palpatine’s -- _no, that’s wrong, that’s --_ dark chuckle. My skin pebbled in the cool night air as silk slid away from my body, and my hands twined in thick curls, still damp with sweat, and _twisted._

Need flowed into submission as the Jedi’s pain soaked the air. Padmé’s breath caught at his scream. She dug her fingers into tight skin, just shy of drawing blood. Her husband groaned anew, and let her tug him up onto his hands and knees. She slid underneath him, and tugged his head down into her lap, resting the warm weight against her sex. I smirked as Anakin sighed, and breathed the deep, dusky scent of his wife.

I watched the twist of muscle under the Jedi’s skin, gleaming with sweat and firelight. Slowly, I eased behind him, trailing my fingers along his shivering flanks. I pressed against his back, his ribs, marveling -- _yet again_ \-- at the wisp of separation between skin and spirit. The latter was fire, licking at my fingers, almost shy, and strangely uncertain despite his position and my obvious desire…

_\-- NOT ME – Not mine – I --_

The dissonance between their want and my fear jolted me out of the illusion. I snapped back to _Livia._ I grasped at that thin scrap of control, and oh, it _hurt_ but I clung to my flesh as the Force -- _yes, the Force, this is the Force_ \-- raged around me like a river swollen by a mountain storm. 

I managed to watch as Padmé dragged Anakin’s head up and sealed her lips to his. She swallowed Anakin’s groan as the Chancellor settled between his legs and slid careful hands up the back of his thighs. Powerful muscles jerked. I shook with the Jedi’s barely suppressed cry. He didn’t _want_ to beg, but the hunger was rising.

I wondered if he knew what he was asking for, if he could see the bright lines of his presence quivering beneath Palpatine’s dark fire. 

Then Palpatine dug his fingers into Anakin’s hips, sudden and sharp, making him gasp. I stopped thinking, because thick heat was sliding along the cleft of Anakin's ass. A low growl filled my head, slotted alongside alien, possessive pleasure. 

I screamed silently as my body struggled to find a point of reference for what it was feeling. Finally, it settled on the burning _ache_ racking the Jedi’s body as the Chancellor -- _or whatever he was_ \-- circled his entrance. Close enough.

I was crying out, begging for relief when the Chancellor pressed inside. He took Anakin agonizingly slowly, opening him with one long, smooth slide, eyes closed tight in concentration as the Jedi moaned into Padmé’s skin. Physically, anyway. I couldn’t help but see – and feel – Palpatine claim the Jedi’s spirit. Their edges blurred as they shared flesh. 

If I was there, I would have screamed. My mind couldn’t decide what it should do with the sight and the touch. Part of me wanted to _stay,_ to let that burning stretch consume my conscious thought. But it wasn’t _mine,_ not really. And I could feel too much of the other, too much of the vicious _hunger_ that wanted to fuck until blood stained the sheets and pleasure and pain tore each other apart. It wanted the Jedi to _beg._

One last chance. I summoned all of my strength and _reached_ for my fragile body. 

My bonds burned white-hot, surely slashing right through my hands and feet, my _throat._ It was too _dangerous_ to return, not with my mind flayed and trembling. I wouldn’t be able to catch myself again, not with that kind of pain racking my flesh, so close to rejecting my mind.

The Force didn’t want me gone, not until it was _finished._

I could do nothing but watch, and feel.

The Jedi came first, his body strung tight as razor wire until his pleasure broke. It hit me like a wave, knocking me out of my fragile equilibrium. My mind gave up on my eyes as Anakin slumped, boneless, against Palpatine, radiating dazed contentment. 

Dark triumph flooded the Force, and I knew no more.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. ... I hope it was clear that Livia's consciousness was getting spread out between Palpatine and Anakin, and getting _very_ confused in the process.


	6. Delirium: Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Livia can't keep herself together without Palpatine. Will he have mercy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mind the tags! This gets _quite_ disturbing.

 

I woke much later. My skin and body were worn, and aching with the sort of exhaustion I had only experienced once before, when I had caught the pox as a child and lain in bed for weeks, drenched in sweat, energy draining away as soon as I could gather a little of it to myself. 

I didn’t dare open my eyes for…It could have been minutes, hours…

Likely, hours. The silence was absolute. The Jedi and the Senator were gone. Nothing there to separate me from, from…

Darkness pressed at the edges of my heart. 

The ‘fresher door slid open. Every footstep made me shudder. I could feel him, now, like a deep bruise inside my chest that worsened with every breath I took. 

Panic flooded in as the closet door slid fully open, and there he was, this man, this…being no longer bothering to conceal his nature, standing at the end of the bed. Regal, despite his damp hair and loose robe. 

_No..._

He tightened his fist. I lurched forward, dragged by the burning strands around my wrists and throat. 

The darkness _hissed._

I hit the wall next to his bed with a _crack._ He darted forward, far faster than should have been possible. Suddenly, I had my voice back, and cried out with pain as he gripped my arms and pinned me in place.

“Having a good night, technician?”

I could only whimper. My throat was raw, my mouth full of bile.

Palpatine’s eyes narrowed.

“Well?” 

I sucked down burning air. His eyes scraped the insides of my mind.

“I – I - It’s none of my business!” I whimpered. It was the only thing I could think of to say. “What you did here, what – “ 

_What you are,_ I thought.

He heard me. 

Blackness gathered at the corners of my vision. A laugh echoed in my head. Teeth and bloodstained fingers flashed before my eyes. I felt something _push_ me, hauling my soul downward. Terror seized me as I stared into _nothing._

The physical faded, despite the pain in my arms and the press of the wall against my back. Grounding me. But the pain was fading…The Void sliding closer…

I had to give him something, give him a story…

Deniability. An alternate interpretation. A reason to let me walk out of here, to convince him that I wasn’t a threat.

_Wait…_

“I have the Force!” I cried, my eyes rolling back into my head.

He blinked. A wave of half-amused incredulity flooded the Force. 

“Excuse me?”

“The Force…” I whispered. My breath burned in my lungs. “I know a few people who -- _not_ Jedi,” I said. “I – um – me too.”

There was a long silence. Vaguely, I felt something liquid run down my cheek, too cold to be blood…unless my skin was dying…

“Go on,” the Chancellor said. His grip tightened. I swallowed back a sob of pain. Between his hold on me, and the black pit trying its damndest to swallow me whole, I could barely focus. But then his nails dug into my arms, and the sharp pain jerked me back into my body.

“I’m not strong enough for the Jedi,” I mumbled. “Midichlorians. They’re these – “

“I know what midichlorians are,” he snapped. 

“Oh – ok – well, you would, I guess. I – I – “ My thoughts were tumbling over each other like marbles in a luck-pot. I swallowed, and started again, begging whatever gods there were for coherency. “They tested me when I was little, but I guess the cutoff threshold is like ten-thousand or something, and I’m only like _five-_ thousand or something, so they didn’t take me, but I can still do, um, stuff. Not much!” I cried. His face was suddenly _very_ close indeed. “Just enough that they throw me out of casinos, I can’t play the lottery, I’m banned from the office podrace betting pool, nobody will play chess with me, and I just _know_ stuff sometimes. And like there was this one time where a guy dislocated his pelvis when I told him to go blow himself when he grabbed my ass in a bar, because he _actually tried to –“_

“Make your point, technician. ” Palpatine growled.

“ -- But I keep running into other people that can do stuff too, but can’t be Jedi. A few tried to…” I bit my lip. “They try to talk you into things, sometimes. But I always know. So before – “ I swallowed. _Before tonight_ “ -- I thought that you did something like that. I had a concussion, and it’s always easier when somebody’s drunk, or, eh, has a concussion.” I paused to catch my breath. 

I was arguing for my life.

“…If I’m right it explains why my brain was glitching out with all the dreams about the dream that, ah, wasn’t, but actually was…” I trailed off as I realized what I’d just said.

_Fuck._

“Dreams?” Palpatine relaxed his grip on my arms.

“Um…They mean that I knew that something was…off. Because of the Force. My mind was trying to make sense of it or something…and…” I swallowed. _Just let it go, please…_ I was rapidly losing touch with my surroundings… I had to get back on track. I needed to convince him that I wouldn’t…that I…What was I supposed to be doing again?

Palpatine drew back a hair, and cocked an eyebrow inquisitively.

“What sort of dreams?”

I turned beet red, suddenly very aware that there was barely an inch of space between our bodies. And that he was wearing a jet-black shimmersilk robe. And probably not much else. 

“Just…Elaborating, I guess. It got to be a bit of a problem.” _Was it ever._

Palpatine smirked. He released my arms, letting me slide back to the ground. My relief was short-lived, however, when his hands drifted down to my waist. 

“Ah…Sir?” My heart leaped into my throat as he pulled me against him.

Palpatine’s hands swept up and down my back, pressing warm and solid through my tunic. A dizzying, swooping sensation filled my body, so much so that I just _had_ to reach for his robe…to stay upright, you see. 

Cold pressure filled my head. I shivered as the last few months cycled through my memory. The confusion. The insomnia. The fear that I was going mad.

_He’s going to --_

“Please don’t make me forget,” I whispered. “It…hurt." My fingers twisted in his robe…so much warmer than the darkness flooding my being. But…

I knew, then, that the heat of his flesh was…real, certainly, as real as anything, but a mere fraction of his Truth. I clung to it like an anchor, silently pleading with the hissing night to just _please, please, let me be._

“Hmmm…”

A hand trailed up my arm, coming to a rest at my throat. I choked back a whimper as the burning thread of power pulsed at his touch. It wasn’t quite pain…I was merely intensely aware of the weight of his hand on my breastbone, fingers toying with the dip at the base of my throat, flickering to my pulse, as if he wanted to snatch it out of my body.

And frankly, it felt as though it might tumble out on its own. 

“You’d let me do _anything_ to you now…wouldn’t you?” 

The darkness tugging at my core abruptly shifted into something else entirely. The fear was still there, oh yes. But this…It swelled and writhed at his touch. I quivered in his arms, gripping his robe tighter to keep myself from clawing at my skin. 

“I – I don’t know,” I whispered -- _lied_ \-- 

He chuckled, his cool fingers trailing up my neck, playing with the little tendrils of hair that had escaped my braid. 

“The truth, now,” he whispered. 

I whimpered, helpless, the drowning in the memory of the _joining,_ my mind and body confused, trying to twist apart. I couldn’t hold on, not without a – 

I gathered my strength, my courage, and lifted my head, made myself look into his eyes. They weren’t blue anymore. 

I lifted my hands to his shoulders, stood up on my tiptoes, and snagged the memory of hands and skin, cleaving to the Jedi’s flesh.

_I need…_

There was only one way to reconcile what I’d felt with what I knew, to silence the roar in my mind, the cracks in my senses.

I could only pray that he’d have mercy. 

_Please…_ The Dream pressed in on my thoughts. I had to risk it. _Please. My Lord._

I kissed him.

…And warm, glorious _relief_ swept through me as his flesh grounded my spirit. But then he _snarled,_ and threw me against the wall. 

I hit hard and slid to the ground, sobbing, curling up into a ball as the Void sunk its claws back into my spine. The pain racking my body was _nothing_ compared to this. I dug my nails into the carpet, my clothes, ripping at both as I struggled to get some form of grip on…something. _Anything._ The world spun beneath me, expanding and contracting, stretching my thoughts like taffy. 

_There I am,_ I thought, staring at the back of my head.

And then there were footsteps, a whisper of cloth, and a cool hand on my brow. I whimpered as Palpatine leaned over me, considering. Firelight shifted and danced in his eyes. 

_What does he see?_ thought the scraps of my consciousness. 

I clung to him, pressing my cheek flat against his chest, sobbing as I snapped back to reality.

Well, the physical part of it anyway…I whimpered with fear and need as I soaked in his heat, shuddering in time with his heartbeat. 

“Please…My Lord…Please…I need you.”

Slowly, his hands shifted to my hips. He bent slightly, and smiled into my hair. 

“Of course,” he whispered. 

My head lolled back as the ground fell away, and for a moment, panic slashed deep. I was falling, leaving my Self behind.

But…there were arms and hands supporting my shoulders and waist, and a firm chest pressed against my cheek. 

He was…carrying me. 

Then I was on my back, cradled in softness, silk sliding against my skin, breathing in the smell of sex. Palpatine’s darkened shape loomed over me, the dying fire at his back. I shuddered with relief as his hand rested – so warm, so sure and _real_ \-- on my breastbone. And yet it wasn’t enough. The taste of heat and pressure through cloth felt like a memory. A pale, half-forgotten memory. It wouldn’t keep me there for long. 

I needed…

I could barely think it, so I asked with my body instead. I opened my legs and reached for my belt with shaking hands.

The mattress dipped. Long fingers snatched my hand away from my clothing and pinned it to the mattress. I moaned as he shifted closer, the front of his robe falling open. One long, elegant finger trailed across my lips. 

“However…”

I shivered as my tunic opened with a _snap,_ and cool air caressed my throat. 

“Can you keep a secret, Ms. Auger?”

I bit my lip as he pushed the sides of my garment apart. 

He was asking this _now?_

“Yes!” I gasped, twisting in his grip. 

I was fading too fast. What little of his face I could see was fading into the Dark.

“Please – I – I’ll – “

Cool, dry lips ran along my collarbone.

“I may require you in the near future,” he murmured. “Not many beings are quite as…aware as you.”

 _About me, anyway,_ I heard.

“It is…useful, to have people in the know.” He pulled back, just slightly, his breath hot against my skin. “Will you stand with me, Livia Auger?”

I didn’t think. He had my help, my service, if he wanted it. 

“You don’t have to ask,” I moaned. 

_Yes._

Palpatine smiled against my throat. 

“Good,” he whispered, low and sibilant. The word coiled and writhed in my core, sudden wet heat twining in with the fear.

He didn’t exactly kiss me. It felt right, somehow. Kisses were for his Jedi and his Senator. Instead he sucked my lower lip into his mouth and bit down, hard. My hands flew up and grasped his shoulders as the sharp taste of blood filled my mouth and trailed down my chin. Dimly I registered the soft _whump_ of his robe hitting the ground as he lapped at the wound with his tongue, smearing the mess across my cheek and chest. 

Palpatine tugged me up with an annoyed grunt when the blood touched the side of my tunic. I nearly fell back again, but managed to pull the thing off. I lost patience with my breast band, however, and simply tore the back fastener apart when he pulled my trousers down and off my hips. Something ripped. 

And right then, I knew, with absolute certainty, that I wasn’t dreaming. Too many rough details, annoying necessities, like needing to strip, and the wrenching pain in my scalp as the Chancellor grasped me by the hair and tugged my head back, baring my throat. 

His teeth closed over my jugular.

 _Don’t move._

I would have nodded, but the skin of my neck was so thin, just barely holding my blood inside. I clung to him as he shifted me into his lap, suppressed the need to move on him as the blunt, thick tip of his cock slid between my folds.

I trembled on the edge of fear and lust. Then he smiled, gripped my hips, and thrust hard. I cried out as he filled me, stretched me too fast and too deep. It _burned,_ scraping at the raw ache that had been rising since I’d woken up in the closet.

It wasn’t enough.

I writhed on his cock, ignoring the sharp threat of teeth at my throat. Something wet trickled down my skin, pooling on the sheets below. 

_Yes, blood. It would be blood,_ I thought as Palpatine growled, and shoved me backwards. I snatched at his shoulders and pulled him down with me, nearly screaming as the force of the fall pushed him deeper. 

And there was pain.

_Good._

I locked my legs around his hips and threw myself into blood, skin, and teeth. 

I stayed alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I think that 'Sidious fucks Livia back into her body' is probably the best description for what just happened O_O  
> 2\. The next chapter will be the epilogue, which deals with the fallout. The chapter after that will likely be a series of alternate, more cracky epilogues...per my original plan with this, before it went off the rails. So, so off the rails...


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